Hike 22

Starting point—Two Rivers
Ending point—Two Rivers
Distance—2.2 miles
Cumulative Distance—112.2 miles

With temperatures in the mid-40s, it was the perfect day to catch the section of Ice Age Trail through Woodland Dunes that we had to skip last time. (This portion of the trail was closed due to hunting season, so it was the first time we had to go out of order by skipping it.) It was a sunny day and absolutely gorgeous for a February hike.

In hindsight, our ice grippers would have been helpful for this hike because there was more ice than we expected (which was really none). We did a bit of slipping and sliding but no falls, so it worked out fine. 

The trail went through the woods, across a dune that looked like a meadow and then wove back through woods until we got to the hospital, which is where we had started our last hike. We saw a woodpecker and plenty of fake owls used to mark some of the other trails.

AJ enjoyed crossing the bridges and had fun narrating the hike. He got a chance to see how hard we were working when he hiked across the meadow on the way back. "Oh, this is slippery!"

Aside from Teddy being crabby the first half of the hike, it was a great way to spend time together enjoying the unseasonably warm winter day!

Hike 21

Starting point—Two Rivers
Ending point—Manitowoc
Distance—5.9 miles
Cumulative Distance—110 miles

Well, it took more than a year for us to get on the Ice Age Trail again, but we made it at least once in 2015. We took advantage of a sitter for our two boys and the relatively nice December weather and headed to the trail with the intention of knocking off about 5 miles.

We were waylaid from the start because the Woodland Dunes Nature Center and Preserve was closed for deer hunting season, and that's right where our hike should have started. Dave was frustrated that this is the first time we couldn't follow the trail in order because we had to skip the section to comply with the closure.

We caught the trail right outside the Preserve and still hiked about the same distance we had hoped. For December, it was a pretty nice day in the low 40s with plenty of sunshine. It was windy by Lake Michigan but much nicer a bit inland.

We enjoyed our time outside and the tour of Manitowoc as we weaved our way around new streets and familiar spots to David, who worked in Manitowoc for 8 years.

It was also really nice to have a friend come pick us up to shuttle us back to our car, so we didn't have to do a loop or shuttle multiple vehicles. 

Here's to hoping for more Ice Age Trail hiking in 2016! 
 
 

 

Hike 3

Starting point—Algoma
Ending point— Algoma
Distance—2.5 miles
Cumulative Distance—25.5 miles

The weather was warm—almost 30 degrees—which compared to the negatives we had just a few days ago, it felt great to get out and hike.  Technically, it was more of a walk, since our adventure today brought us from the northern edge of Algoma's city limits to the "heart" of the beautiful city.  Regardless, it felt great to get back out on the trail!

Unlike our previous trips, we took only one car up and planned on doing a "loop" through the city.  We left the car by a ice skating rink by a park on Division St.  We walked up through the city and then the Anahpee State Trail, to get to the point we last saw in October.

From there, we followed the "official" path back into town passing and reading the history of Algoma and seeing the many sights including old lumber mills, Von Stiehl Winery, and our first official view of Lake Michigan from the IAT.  We took the boardwalk trail that runs along the harbor, and Kerry found a playground in the park along the lake.

 Someone in snowshoes broke a path for us along the boardwalk. However, by the split of 42, the path was covered in snow, and our wants turned to delicious hot chocolate.  

 

Kerry had found a place going through Algoma one time for work.  We left the trail and walked up "downtown" Algoma to Caffe Tiazo, where we ordered hot chocolate and enjoyed a great drink to end our hiking for the day.  

All said and done, it was a great day to go for a hike through Algoma.  We look forward to our next chance to get back on the trail... snow or not!!

Happy Hiking!!!!!

~Dave

Hike 2

Starting point—Maplewood
Ending point— Algoma
Distance—10 miles
Cumulative Distance—23 miles

Our Ice Age journey continued today, pushing through the aching muscles that suggested a lazy Sunday would be a better idea. It was an absolutely gorgeous fall day with sunshine and minimal wind.

Dave's favorite photo of the day!

We picked up the trail in Maplewood where we ended yesterday and continued to follow the Anahpee State Trail toward Algoma. This section of the trail went through many farm fields and some wooded areas. Saw a few colorful leaves, plenty of tempting (and likely non-edible) red berries and some wild grasses that glowed in the sunlight.

After several miles of hiking, we stopped at the Forrestville Dam for lunch. This is a very nice and well-maintained park with plenty of playground equipment, picnic tables and a nice lake. We learned that the original dam was also the site of the first gristmill in Door County.

We continued on our hike, taking in bits of history with approximately four signs posted along the trail explaining the history of the Anahpee-Western Railroad. We got to see first-hand railroad artifacts turned into useful construction materials for the trail, particularly an old steam boiler used as a culvert for a bridge. We also crossed the Anahpee River, which was really pretty today and would probably be a nice paddling river when there's a bit more water.

This section of the trail had a couple of the benches closer to Maplewood, but they disappeared as we got closer to Algoma. The Blahnik Heritage Park wasn't on our map, but it was apparently closed for the season. The Anahpee River Campground also showed little signs of life, so we assume many people leave boats and campers parked there through the winter. Fortunately, there was a rustic (meaning pit toilet) bathroom near the Algoma end of the trail, just for Kerry to use!

Another good day of hiking, and it might be our last until spring.